A Freeride Project rail set - Triple-S 2014 - Court, Hadlow, Cunnigham

The 2014 Triple-S invitational is one of the world biggest wake style kiteboarding events. Hosted every year by Real Watersports, it is a unique place to ride. With the Wave kickers on the sea and the full slider park that can be set up in the sound, there is a bit of everything.

After the event I linked up with Aaron Hadlow and Craig Cunningham and we had a Freeride session on the North rooftop rail. A few freestyle tricks thrown in for good measure.

Kite Tender – Worlds first commercial kite boat?

Our sport started way back when, since its inception we’ve largely stuck to doing our thing on a board, a few riders have tried it on skis and now hydrofoils are making waves. Well I’ve tried the future and its boat shaped.
After speaking with Peter Renssen, the brains behind the Kite Tender project a few months ago and talking about the great sailing around the Isle of Wight and Cowes week, he threw the boat on the roof of his car and drove from Holland to my home spot on the IOW. Peter and I put the Kite Tender boat through its paces, taking it out to pit it against boats much larger to see how it performs. Getting speeds on 21 knots and averaging 17 knots, this little two man kite powered dingy is a formidable sailing machine that has an interesting future.


 
If you are skeptical about it now, Tom dares you to have a go in one as even if you can’t Kiteboard, this is a great training tool and could help to bridge the gap between sailing an Kiteboarding into the future. Could this be the worlds first commercial kite boat? Check out www.kitetender.nl for more information on the project.

Alessandro Lugaresi @ El Medano Tenerife

Italian rider Alessandro Lugaresi’s freestyle sessions at El Medano beach, his home spot in Tenerife. Watch him enjoying the waves and wind of the Canary Islands. Nice music video! 

[Kitemovement]

North Vegas 2015 presentation

The C-oriented Vegas has been completely reworked and redesigned for 2015. North designers say that now it’s more freestyle orientated and hard-core than ever before! There are plenty of different set-ups of the Vegas; let Aaron Hadlow explain them. 

K2 Kiteboat

"The Kiteboat Project has existed in some form since 1997, when Don Montague first began attaching kites to boats. Between 1997 and 2006, Don worked with a team in Hawaii to develop kites for use with surfing canoes, small catamarans, and large motored cats; their accomplishments included wave-riding and several island crossings. Between 2006 and 2008, Don worked on modifying and testing the Trifoiler and Quadfoiler test platforms through Makani Power, a Bay Area wind power company that he co-founded in the fall of 2006. The current team began to take shape in late 2008, when the Kiteboat Project acquired funding from the Marine Science Technology Foundation and moved to its own workshop in Alameda. We have since secured other funding and have put together a team of marine architects, sailors, and software developers dedicated to realizing the Kiteboat vision through building and testing the first platform of its kind built specifically for kites. Our objective is to evolve waterborne transportation to use kites as propulsion. To date, kite propulsion has primarily been used for kitesurfing and in single-person traction kiting. In small-scale kiting, the force of the kite can be controlled by an individual holding on to the kite directly, but as the kite gets larger, harnessing its power becomes more difficult. The challenge is to develop winches, controls, and launch and recovery systems for larger kites, boat-specific kites for different conditions, and kite-specific boats and foil systems. Our mission is to design a purpose-built vessel that is specifically designed to harness kite power and to advance kite design and kite controls to the point that power-assisted or autonomously controlled kites can be used by a broad audience." 

For more infos and photos visit: project.kiteboat.com

Marc Jacobs hits Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Marc Jacobs goes to Aitutaki, Cook Islands in search of wind...

And when the wind is not blowing, wakeboarding session in this wonderful paradise of crystal clear water!

North Dice 2015 Product Clip

The launch of the dice last year broke all our previous records for a new kite! A favourite with the magazines and riders alike, everybody loved its playful nature. The low end of the kite has been improved this year; by opening up the profile the kite now generates more power in lighter winds. This open profile has also added more stability at the top end of the kites range too. It’s still great in the waves with the impressive drifting capabilities, but it is perfect for freeriding and freestyle as well.

Read more: http://www.northkiteboarding.com/prod...                                                           [NorthKB]

2015 Airush Varialx

The Varial X has been an ongoing development to meet the needs of high performance riders looking to do everything from boosting, wakestyle and waves. For 2015, the Varial X has a complete redesign while maintaining its character of quick, powerful and versatile. The SL-C concept behind the Varial X has remained while everything else has changed to meet a more demanding customer. A focus on wider windrange, a secure gust response, and easier relaunch was the outcome of a newer tip to chord ratio, a dynamic new wingtip layout and strut placement.

Bridging the gap between high-end performance and everyday riding, the Varial X is the kite to choose.

The Varial X durability has been increased further with the Technoforce D2 by Teijin along with the Airush signature Poly Load Frame to give an amazing rigidity and strength throughout the entire Airush canopy.

The 2015 Naish Kiteboarding Collection - PURE ENERGY

It’s time to break the mold.

Stir your senses with the 2015 Naish Kiteboarding Collection at naishkites.com

Strapless Addiction Academy - TRANSITIONS

Stefano Gentili, rider for RRD International and Francesco Maffei, rider for Cabrinha Kites Dakine and Nectar sunglasses, teaching you how to do transitions in the first episode of Strapless Addiction Academy weekly tutorial series presented by Kitesoul Mag.

Strapless session in Cabarete by Oron Kessel

Enjoy 2 minutes of fun and action in an on-shore kitesurfing session in Embocca, Cabarete.

[Kitemovement]

Rabbit Gang 3.0

Have a look at the third generation of the Wainman Hawaii Rabbit series. Find out about all the improvements introduced in the final R&D phase of the new series.

Hadlow is back! Wrap Up - PKRA 2014 Germany

Summary of the double elimination who saw Liam Whaley coming back to the 2nd place. Aaron Hadlow after so much time attending an event and immediately wins the PKRA

Kite position in waves by BWS

Ben Wilson explains how to correctly position your kite for wave riding. Check that you are always:

1. Turning the kite before the board
2. Making the same turn with the board as with your kite
3. Travelling at the same speed and in the same direction as your kite
4. Keeping your kite at 45° or lower. When it's at 12 o’clock you have the least control. You have the most control when the kite is down at the waterline so your baseline is halfway between at 45°. Always work from this point whether you’re riding a wave or tacking up-wind.

10 years of Switchblades

After ten years of refinement, the Switchblade kite from Cabrinha is held as the benchmark for which all crossover/freeride kites must aspire to. Its success lies in its uncommon blend of high performance and ease of use.

F-ONE 2015 first trailer video!

F-ONE 2015 first release!

.:: Matchu ::.

After Mitu Monteiro and Airton Cozzolino,it's now the turn of Matchu Lopes Almeida to get the honors of a video portrait in Cape Verde. Just like his buddies, Matchu is a strapless magician who recently joined the North Kiteboarding.. Enjoy! 

Everybody Knows - Best crew video

The Best team riders met up to celebrate the arrival of the new 2015 gear. Beautiful locations, kitesurfing, partying, skating and so much more…